Health Highlights: Feb. 9, 2016

State of Emergency Declared in Hawaii County Over Dengue Fever Outbreak

Tasering Causes Short-Term Mental Impairment: Study

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

State of Emergency Declared in Hawaii County Over Dengue Fever Outbreak

A spreading dengue fever outbreak led Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi to declare a state of emergency on Monday.

He said the move was needed to reduce mosquito populations and protect people from mosquito bites, CBS News reported.

As of Monday, 251 cases of dengue fever had been confirmed on Hawaii Island, and two of the patients are still potentially infectious, according to the state Health Department.

Gov. David Ige is expected to declare an emergency for the entire state as it combats dengue fever, CBS News reported.

The dengue outbreak comes as fears grow about the Zika virus. No cases have been reported in Hawaii, but health officials are concerned the virus could show up in the islands. The same species of mosquito transmits both dengue fever and the Zika virus to people.

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Tasering Causes Short-Term Mental Impairment: Study

Being shocked by a Taser stun gun can cause short-term mental impairment similar to dementia, according to a new study.

It included 142 college students who volunteered to be zapped by a Taser, which delivers 50,000 volts into a person's body, NBC News reported.

The findings in the journal Criminology & Public Policy raise questions about police questioning of suspects after they've been tased, according to the Arizona State University and Drexel University investigators.

"There are plenty of people in prison who were tased and then immediately questioned," researcher Robert Kane, said in a news release. "Were they intellectually capable of giving 'knowing' and 'valid' waivers of their Miranda rights before being subjected to a police interrogation?"

He and his colleagues said police should wait one hour before reading someone their Miranda rights after they've been tased.

Stun gun maker Taser did not respond to NBC News requests for comment.